This invention relates to a collapsible tube and, more particularly, to a collapsible tube which is made at least in part of plastic.
Such tubes generally fall into two categories. The most popular in the dentrifice market is a laminate tube in which a lamination of several materials (e.g., plastic-metal-plastic) in sheet form is rolled into a tube and is longitudinally seamed. A plastic shoulder or breast with a threaded neck then is welded to the tube and provides a support for a closure. The closure may be either a simple screw-on cap or may be a screw-on fitment with a flip-top cap. In either case, the overall unit consists of three components which must be assembled with one another.
The other popular type of plastic tube is injection molded from plastic and includes an integral breast with a threaded neck for supporting a closure. While a unit of this type has only two components, the plastic does not "deaden" when squeezed and thus a single layer tube is not as acceptable as a laminate tube for dispensing some products such as dentrifices.